Locking device



NOV. 20, 19.34. i J MQRRIS I 1,981,705

LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 17, 1954 Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCKING DEVICE John Morris, Youngwood, Pa.', assignor to Robertshaw Thermostat Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May", 1934, Serial No. 72 ,045 5 Claims. (01. 64-49) used. and which will rigidly lock or hold the rotary member against rotary movement. As stated above, my invention may be used in a wide variety of installations. I have found it highly desirable in thermostatic structures for locking the rotary member used for transmitting movement from the dial to the control element, such as a valve or the like, for effecting an adjustment of the setting of the structure.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to a thermostatic structure. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to the particular structure shown in the drawing, nor is my invention limited to the particular application of the device which I provide which is shown in the drawing.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a thermostatic construction embodying the locking device which I provide;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the locking plate; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the spacing washer for spacing the locking .plate from the support on which it is mounted.

In the drawing there is shown 'a thermostatic structure embodying a valve 2, a thermostat 3 of the rod and tube type, and an adjustin dial 4. The valve 2 is provided with inlet and outlet ports 5 and 6, respectively, for permitting gas or other fluid to flow through the valve. A valve member (not shown) is provided in the valve 2 and cooperates with a seat formed in the casing.

The thermostat 3 is of the ordinary rod and tube type thermostat and comprises a tube 7 and a rod 8, the tube being of an expansible material, and the rod of a relatively nonexpansible material such as invar.

The expansion and contraction of the tube 7 is utilized for effecting an opening and closing movement of the valve member of the valve 2, as

will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. I

In structures of this character, it is highly desirable to provide means for adjusting the setting thereof, that is, for adjusting the temperatures at which the valve will open or close, as the case may be. The adjusting dial 4 is therefore provided for this purpose. It preferably carries suitable indicia on the face thereof which cooperates with a pointer 9 carried by the support on which 3. the dial is mounted. The dial 4 is rigidly secured to an extension arm 10, and as the dial is rotated, the extension arm 10 likewise rotates. A flexible connecting element 11 is provided for transmitting rotary movement of the extension arm 10 to the rotary member 12 which is threaded in the valve casing, and is adapted to cooperate with a lever for adjusting the valve member relative to its seat.

It is highly desirable to set structures of this 7 character at the proper setting at the time they leave the factory. In order to maintain this setting, it is necessary to provide means for locking the rotary member 12 so that the structure will not get out of adjustment during transportation thereof and during its installation. The locking of the element 12 is accomplished by my invention by means of a locking plate 13, a screw 14, and the spacing sleeve 15.

The locking plate 13 is provided with a recess 35 16 extending from the edge thereof toward the center of the plate. The walls of the recess 16 are shaped to receive and cooperate with the rotary member 12. When in inoperative position, the recess 16 will receive the rotary member 12 without exerting any clamping action thereon, so that when the dial 4 is rotated, the movement thereof .will be transmitted through the rotary member 12 to the valve member.

The locking plate 13 is provided with a second recess 17 which is preferably disposed directly opposite the recess 16 and extends from the edge of the locking plate toward the center thereof. The recesses 16 and 17 are preferably spaced by only a relatively narrow portion 18 of the plate.

A threaded opening 19 is provided in the casing to receive the screw 14, the head of which is provided with a beveled lower face 20. The screw 14 extends through the recess 17, which is preferably curved so that the side walls thereof will cooperate with the beveled face 20 of the screw. The spacing sleeve 15 has a centrally disposed opening 21 to receive the screw and is placed between the oasing and'the locking plate 13.

It will be readily understood that when the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, rotation of the screw which causes the screw to move inwardly of the casing, will cause the beveled face of the screw to spread the side walls of the recess 17 and cause the side walls of the recess 16 to move toward each other and toefl'ect a clamping action on the member therein. A relatively small movement of the screw is necessary in order to effect sufficient clamping action to rigidly hold the rotary member 12. Little force is also required to eifect this clamping action on the rotary member, particularly where the recesses ,are spaced apart by a relatively narrow strip of metal. By relatively narrow" is meant that the'strip is narrow as compared with the distance between the screw and the clamping portion of the lower recess.

It will be readily seen that the structure which I provide may be manufactured cheaply, that it comprises a small number of inexpensive parts, and that a strong gripping action can be obtained thereby with little effort and a slight movement of the screw.

I have found the locking device which I provide to be highly advantageous in thermostatic structures of the character described herein.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, and have shown it as applied to a thermostatic structure, it will be understood that my invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A locking device for locking a rotatable member, comprising a locking plate having a plurality of recesses therein extending from the edges toward the center thereof, one of said recesses being adapted to receive the rotatable member, and means cooperating with another of said recesses to spread the walls thereof, whereby the walls of the member receiving recess are moved toward each other to effect a clamping action on the member therein.

walls of the member receiving recess are moved toward each other to effect a clamping action on the member therein.

3. A locking device comprising a locking plate having oppositely disposed recesses therein extending from the edges toward the center thereof, one of said recesses being adapted to receive a member to be locked, and means cooperating with the opposite recess to spread the walls thereof, whereby the walls of the member receiving recess are moved toward each other to effect a clamping action on the member therein.

4. A locking device comprising a locking\ plate having oppositely disposed recesses therein extending from the edges toward the center thereof, said recesses being spaced by a relatively narrow portion of the plate, one of said recesses being adapted to receive a member to be locked, and means cooperating with the opposite recess to spread the walls thereof, whereby the walls of the member receiving recess are moved toward each other to eifect a clamping action on the member therein.

5. A locking device comprising a locking plate having oppositely disposed recesses therein ex- 

